Pet Tibetan mastiff in China mauls toddler, ripping off his forearm

Dogs may be man's best friend, but they're still animals - and can be dangerous.

A family in China found this out the hard way after their Tibetan mastiff mauled their one-year-old child and ripped off his forearm on Sunday (Nov 26). 

The family pet, usually caged up at home, was let out for a meal that day. 

Once it was freed, however, the dog rushed towards the nearby toddler, attacking him.

While the child survived the attack, his left forearm was torn off, Jiangnan News reported.

He was admitted to a hospital that evening, approximately two hours after the attack happened, according to multiple reports.

A doctor who attended to the boy said that surgery was required to reattach his forearm.

The damage to the toddler's limb was so severe, however, the boy needed to be observed over 10 days to see if the reattachment would work, the doctor added.

Tibetan mastiff is a large size dog breed that can weigh between 31kg and 68kg, depending on its gender.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com